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My art is an escape – Ron Mangra
Ron Mangra is a 22-year-old who works at the Guyana Water Incorporated. There, he does debt recovery. But when the young man is away from work, he gets himself taken up in his art – a hobby that has become so developed that he now monetizes it.
Mangra draws and paints. Ever since he ‘knew himself’, he’s been into his art.
“I discovered that it was a natural talent of mine to be able to draw things, especially cartoon characters and classrooms diagram while my other colleagues found it difficult… so I always drew.”
After high school, Mangra couldn’t find a job immediately. With lots of idle time at home, he decided to work on “bettering” his talent.
In those days, he said that he put a great deal of effort into learning drawing techniques and experimenting with paint. This he did from Youtube tutorials, a common avenue for young people to hone their skills.
“I indulge in a little bit of amateur photography [too],” Mangra said.
Lady Luna
The Mandala Elephant
Though he could learn about that on YouTube as well, photography necessitates the use of expensive equipment.
“I’m hoping that I can better that art form as soon as I can afford advanced instruments to help me.”
Mangra has done a lot of paintings, which he keeps laying around his house.
He explained that, last year, after he did a painting and uploaded a photo to social media, someone offered cash for it. He had been confident for some time that his work is of an excellent enough quality to be sold, but it was that offer that broke the ceiling.
The painting in question that he first sold is called The Lady Luna. The focus of that painting is the moon, being viewed from a lakefront between two trees.
Of that one, he said “Lady Luna creates no light of her own. Her power is in Shadow. Her conveyance (her ability to be seen) depends upon her ability to reflect [the light of the sun]. It’s a clever design because [the moon] navigates us.”
But he also does art for advocacy. One of the pieces he shared with Kaieteur News was created as part of an anti-bullying campaign by a YouTube vlogger named Arun Sugrim.
That piece shows a young boy bullying another. The bully’s aura emanates that of sad, lonely child, while the other boy’s aura is multifaceted and colourful.
A piece Mangra did for an anti-bullying campaign
That one, Mangra explains, “demonstrates clearly the emotions of victims of bullying, and one of the main reasons why some people are bullies to begin with.”
He said that he likes to work on pieces of animals the most, because each of them has a different strength that he could focus on representing. The most recent piece Mangra has made is called The Mandala Elephant.
The Mandala Elephant comes from Indian tradition. It can be seen as a form of the Buddha or the Hindu deity Ganesha.
Mangra explained that Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit, representing someone who has centered themself, while the elephant symbolises great power and strength, a resolute nature that doesn’t yield to its conscience.
He added that the Mandala Elephant is his favourite work yet.
Mangra has received a few orders, with similar Mandala designs because persons have expressed an interest in the intricacy of the art form.
Mangra expressed that his creative work is very important to him.
“When I’m bored, I paint. When I can’t sleep, I paint. When I am stressed, I paint,” he said.
“It’s a part of me that I use to get away from reality.”
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